Under Whose Alliance
by Fiona Fargazer
Summary: A gang operation turns out to be a far more deadly and complicated plot than Buzz and team at first anticipates. First the trail leads to Gargantia, but it goes on deeper from there ...
1. Chapter 1

**Under Who's Alliance**

By Fiona Fargazer

ONE

Two beady eyes narrowed dangerously onto the projection screen, which just now turned on, lighting the otherwise darkened chamber.

"Greetings," said a dark voice, contorted by the flickering, ancient device.

The figure to whom the narrowed eyes belonged quivered somewhat before demanding in a guarded, crusty wheeze, "How did you discover us here? Who are you?"

"Consider me your ticket off this heap of rubble," replied the hooded man.

Trying to clear the static, the beady eyed, alien figure yanked at a couple levers and pushed a few buttons, but it did little to focus the projection. He snorted. "Perhaps we like our rubble," snapped the figure with indigence.

Although he could not see it, the figure could hear the vile grin of the hooded man in the tone of his voice as he replied, "Not likely or you wouldn't have allowed the Galactic Alliance's interference with your handiwork."

The alien figure hesitated a moment, fear rising.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"A partnership arrangement. You help me and I'll help you. Our goals are similar," said the hooded man.

"And those goals are what, exactly?" asked the alien. "How can we trust you? The very fact that you know of our existence makes it unlikely that we would agree. For over five hundred years my people have hidden here. Five hundred years of secrecy that you now have over us, somehow."

"You're correct, my friend," said the hooded man. "You can't trust me. And though, you can't take my word for it. If you really want your rubble, I won't trouble you any further. You can rot there until the end of time or until Star Command discovers you."

"Pshah!" spat the alien figure. "We do not fear the Galactic Alliance! We laugh at their rangers. We laugh at their alliance. We laugh even at the ever-famous Buzz Lightyear of Star Command."

"Yet you fear me," mocked the hooded man.

"I did not say that!" the alien snapped, crossing his skinny red arms in defiance.

"Let's just say that whether you help or not, I will soon _be_ the Galactic Alliance … or what's left of it by the time I'm done."

"Hah! We laugh at you as well," croaked the alien figure in a slow wheeze. "You could simply be a snooping fool with special gadgetry. You have no proof that anything you say is truth."

The hooded figure laughed a most eerie, bone chilling laugh that was familiar yet foreign as contradictory and cryptic as it sounded. "I did find you."

"True."

"Are you willing to take the chance that I might be right and you are not on the winning side when I blow up your parasitic rock heap with the rest of the alliance?" asked the hooded man.

The small red alien paused a moment, looking more thoughtful than afraid however much he quaked inside. "We … we will discuss it and will have your answer," he said, scooting back in swivel chair. "Tonight. My people will not like your having discovered us here, but it is likely we will at least _hear_ your proposition."

"Heh, heh, heh … Excellent!"

The projection broke out and darkness befell the chamber, save for a low inky glow, but the alien and his kind had become used to the darkness. After over five hundred years of lingering, the alien and his race were perhaps about to emerge and reveal themselves once again to the universe.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Blast 'em! Come on! You worthless scum!" snarled the big boss, but it was obvious that even ten to one he could not hope to beat Team Lightyear. They were creaming his men like corn, and there was nothing he could do about it. With a roar, he snatched a remote, and, pressing it, he disappeared from the ill-lighted lair through a shaft in the wall.

Booster caught sight of him just as he smacked a particularly ugly mug into a dumpster. "Huh?"

"He's getting away!" Mira cried, between kicks and laser fire. She turned to Buzz.

"XR and I'll head him off," Buzz called back with military seriousness, but he was not worried. After quite some time hunting down the organized thieves on Capital Planet in their attempt to smuggle out money from advanced computer technology industries, Team Lightyear finally found the head honcho of the operation, and Buzz knew that he had not a chance of getting out this now.

XR swiveled around at the sound of his name and just barely missed being shot to pieces. "Yipe!" But quickly recovering, he jumped after Buzz with a, "Right behind you, Skipper."

Even with everything wrapping up so smoothly, something still bothered Buzz. Of course now was neither the time nor place to think about it as he caught sight of the big boss slipping round a corner in the alley, but he could not help the feeling that at least one of the pieces just did not quite fit. So far all seemed fairly typical – perhaps too typical – for such a mission, but ranger instinct never failed him yet.

Splashing through puddles and crashing at least once over a garbage can, the big boss ran as fast as he could. However, he lost breath fast. He was the ringleader, not the muscle, after all. Just up ahead the lights of the hover cars flashed. Buzz knew that if he dove into the traffic there would be an escape craft waiting for him and he would be lost in the flashing, noise, and disorder of Trade World.

"But not today," Buzz said with a confident smile. Soaring ahead of the big boss, he dropped out in front of him, and now he was trapped between XR and himself. "You're not getting away that easily, Wormhole."

Wormhole (for that was his name – Buzz was not name-calling) jumped backwards in surprise, and of course when he spun around XR stood in mid air directly behind him.

"Going somewhere?" XR laughed. "Not likely."

Wormhole cackled in the sort of way that merited a bolt of lightning behind him. "You won't take me in, rangers!" he spat as he whipped out a very high tech and quite illegal weapon from his belt. "Even if I _do _go to jail, I'll be out before the next solar cycle! I have buddies in such places that you'd beg for mercy at my hands."

Not at all impressed, Buzz, crossing his arms, though not letting his guard down just yet, eyed him with a raised brow. "Uh … I doubt that."

XR shook his head pityingly. "Does he really expect us to take that seriously or is he just-"

Wormhole fired, but though balls of laser light blasted into the air, they flew harmlessly into the smog. For just then with a lifted fist, Buzz punched him directly backwards, causing him to loose his weapon.

"So, Wormhole, what were you – _huh_?" Buzz did a double take, but he should not have been so startled.

Ranger instinct.

Instead of moaning, screaming, or even falling unconscious, Wormhole, with his head against the pavement, began to sizzle and crackle with blue electric sparks.

"So, he was a robot all along," said XR, landing beside Buzz. "Hardly surprising. There was something about the way he wouldn't drink to his own health."

Buzz put a hand to his chin. "Hmm," he mused, and leaning forward for a closer look, he pulled back the breast plate and saw not working innards but an empty hull.

Just then Mira and Booster appeared on their jet packs and landed near at hand.

"We took care of them," said Mira, but just as she was about to say more, Booster sprang forward to see the wreckage that had once been Blackie Wormhole.

"Hey! That looks like one of the Gargantian robots!" he exclaimed Booster.

"But where are the Gargantians?" Buzz pondered aloud, his eyes squinting with suspicion.

Mira glanced at Buzz as he continued to examine the wreckage. That was the question. Usually with a run-in with the Gargantians there ensued lots of shouting, running, chaos, and tripping. With not even an "All hail Gargantia!" and a half-dozen, half-foot tall bodies flying from the robot's shell, something was gravely amiss.

"Does this mean its not over?" asked Booster, looking to Buzz.

Buzz shook his head. "No, Booster, this is probably just the beginning."

"Oh, but its poker night!" XR complained.

"Poker night?" Buzz's eyes narrowed.

Making a sound as if clearing his throat, XR shrugged. "Did I say poker?" he asked. "I meant porker. Tonight's porker night, with pork rinds and the movie and the … and, okay, I think I'll just stop now. It was just a joke anyway. Doesn't anyone know how to take a joke anymore?"

"The time for fun is later, XR," said Buzz. "Right now we got us some tiny terrorists to catch."

"But I thought the Gargantians were in prison," said Mira.

"Mira, Mira, Mira," XR admonished with a shake of his head. "You know those high profile criminal types never stay in prison long. It's the faulty judicial system. We arrest them, judges get bribed, lawyers get paid, and juries threatened. It's a vicious cycle but only the truth."

Buzz shook his head. "No. I doubt a lawyer could have gotten them all out of prison."

"Are you sure?" XR asked.

"Of course he's sure!" Booster said. "He's Buzz. There's gotta be something more to this if Buzz says there is."

"Uh, Zurg?" offered XR helpfully.

"Maybe …" Buzz looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned to his team. "Come on, we'll see if we can't track them down."

00000000000000000000000000

Gargantia.

The very name seemed to emit a tremor, conjuring up images of massive rock, seismic activity maybe, and certainly figures of immense size and malevolence. Whatever ancient time possessed someone to name the planet as such was not remembered even by the Gargantians themselves. Perhaps it had been meant to intimidate other alien races in a more violent, primitive past. Perhaps it had been named before the race even knew of the rest of the universe's existence, and they proudly named themselves top of all they knew. Whatever the reason, it seemed now more an ironic twist than anything else. Even regardless of the size of Gargantia's inhabitants, the planet was relatively miniscule in the grand scheme of universe than say Tangea or Batheos. If it had not been for the militant terrorists that resided on the planet, the rest of the Gargantian race might have gone completely unnoticed by anyone, and for centuries this had been the case, until having overthrown their militant leaders, the Gargantians took the bold step in becoming part of Galactic Alliance. This, of course, turned an already peace-hating band of scoundrels into an enemy with such animosity and dauntless will that even small and limited in resources as they were, they were a force to consider.

After Buzz Lightyear and his team scoured Trade World and beyond, even with added help from other rangers, Buzz knew that the most likely place for the terrorists to be hiding was on their home world. What the planned on doing with the money and parts they were stealing was yet to be known, but Buzz felt confident that they would find out soon enough.

"Are you sure they could be controlling a robot remotely all the way from Gargantia?" Mira asked as 42 neared the planet's orbit.

Gargantia was not exactly close as far as Galactic Alliance planets went, after all.

She shrugged and continued. "It just seems a little … I don't know. Wouldn't it be easier to control it from a closer location?"

XR had to agree. "Yeah, slinking back home with all of the underworld slime holes in the rest of the Galactic Alliance to hide in. You'd think they wouldn't exactly be welcomed with open arms either. Chucked off world with fire and pitchforks onto their radical behinds more like it."

"Especially now that the normal Gargantians've strengthened their own military forces," Booster added with a pleased smile, more for the sake of mentioning how well the planet was getting along than because he sided with Mira and XR on the matter at hand.

"It'll be worth a check," Buzz said with a smile of his own as he turned to his teammates, but it faded as he faced the planet in front of him yet again with penetrating eyes.

Ranger instinct struck hard this time. Really hard. Something just screamed diabolical and they had not even landed yet. The last time he felt this uneasy was when Zurg first unleashed his hyper death ray. What evil force at work here was yet to be discovered, but whatever it was, he was determined not to let it remain secret long enough for any real damage to be done.

"Booster and I will head down first," Buzz announced.

They reached orbit now.

"Oh, sure, yeah," said XR with a sarcastic grin. "Don't let us ruin your visit with _your _friends." He chuckled and shook his head. "After all, what are we? The other two rangers. Don't let us cramp your style. We know when _we're _not wanted." He turned to Mira pointing a thumb in Buzz's direction. "Can you believe these two?"

Although she rolled her eyes, Mira could not help a tiny smile in spite of herself.

"Ah, come on, XR," Booster said. "It's not like that. It's just … we don't have the shrinky belts, and they're a little more used to Buzz and me on Garga-."

"Actually," Buzz interrupted. "I want XR and Mira to stay with the ship in case something unexpected happens down there."

XR and Mira exchanged glances and Booster pouted his lower lip slightly in confusion.

"And, XR," continued Buzz, "I want you to run a thorough scan over the planet while we're down there. Anything unusual, notify me."

"Uh … okay," said XR with a shrug. "Whatever you say. Even if there is something down there, they'll be long gone by the time you land. There's really no element of surprise."

"That's not the goal here – exactly," said Buzz.

"Then, Buzz, uh, what is the plan?" Mira wanted know.

"It depends on what's happening," Buzz replied. "Keep your communicators ready and wait for my instructions."

Buzz assumed his team understood. Ranger instinct was never wrong. Whether they did or not, Buzz never knew, but after he and Booster exited the bridge, XR, swinging in Mira's direction, said, "Buzz is doing that squinty thing again."

Mira nodded. "Yeah, something must be really getting him really bad."

A shrug ignited from the little robot. "The planet looks alright to me," he said lightly. "Nothing on the scanners. Certainly nothing from the window. I still don't see what Buzz expects to find, except maybe a few new burger stands. And so what if the pint-sized despot-rejects are on Gargantia. I don't think its worth going on hyper-mode over." As he spoke, he leaned idly against the chute behind him. "We already broke up the 'gang'. What's left for them to do? If you ask me, I think Buzz has finally shot down one hornet too many, if you catch my drift."

Somehow Mira did not feel so sure however much she doubted anything too out of the ordinary happened recently down on Gargantia. They would probably have sent out a distress signal if anything too outrageous occurred. Right? Unless, of course, nothing happened here at all, and that whatever Buzz seemed wired up about would not be found here, but something would present itself that would lead to something else.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"Well, if this isn't a surprise!" cried Ambassador Major as Buzz and Booster landed at a mini-sized courthouse (though quite massive from the native perspective).

"Hello, Mr. Ambassador," said Buzz.

He was just about to say more, but the ambassador, after having hopped out a majestic glass doorway and onto the gleamingbalcony, soon exclaimedwith immense animation yet broad graciousness, "Welcome back to Gargantia!"

Throwing his arms up in the air in his excitement, he looked almost as if he might leap right over of the railing, but he halted just before it and proudly thrust a hand to the building behind him.

"What do you think? Does this screammagnificence or what? We modeled it off of some the architecture on Capital Planet!" He laughed with delight. "Though of course, we added our own bit of flare to it! We're remodeling the whole FirstCity! Then, if we can get enough funding we'll work towards the whole planet! No more squat, grey, rectangular monstrosities forGargantia! With glaringly drab windows and cold, dark rooms? No, sir! We'll clothe her in nothing but the best as far as the eye can see! The skyline of Gargantia's capital will be an extravaganza of light, life, and color!"

Even as Ambassador Major spoke, Booster turned to see construction workers (exceedingly pleased with their new jobs) building up a new foundation of some other building a few blocks away, and closer by, demolition workers cleared away one of the militants' "rectangular monstrosities", even if these workers were quite distracted by Buzz and Booster's arrival.

Booster smiled. Though, the ambassador seemed a bit overzealous, the efforts of Gargantia certainly seemed to be making the citizens quite happy with a new set of goals for a brighter, better, bigger future. Turning to Buzz, however, Booster remembered why they were here, and he hoped that nothing bad would happen to the Gargantians again to smite their now high spirits.

"I'm telling you!" the ambassador went on. "You won't even recognize the planet when we're through! We'll be the shining beacon at the far end of the Galactic Alliance! All the past will be swept away like the nightmare it was!" He beamed. "I can give you a tour if you like." His offer was handed to them like a delectable truffle.

"Thank you, ambassador, but, uh, I'm afraid we're here on duty," Buzz admitted.

"Oh, that's too bad," said Ambassador Major, doing a terrible job at hiding his disappointment, but he so quickly bounded back from it that it was as if it had never occurred. "So then! How can I be of help? There hasn't been much trouble on Gargantia these days." He chuckled and closed his eyes with a blissful sigh. "Boy, it feels good to be able to say that. The worst thing was the sewers backing up a bit on the other side of town when we tried to build the foundations of the Grand Hotel, but that's all cleared up now aside from some fixable water stains at the bank next door."

"Well, Mr. ambassador," said Buzz. "We have reason to believe that the militants have been up to their old tricks again and-"

"No, militants here, Buzz," the ambassador assured him with a wave of his hand. "And even if they were, they won't be able to cause any real damage anymore. They've been weakened and scattered so much that even if their leader, Tremedor attempted to rise again, they won't be able to stop us."

Buzz and Booster exchanged a quick glance.

"We just mean," said Booster as charitably as he could, "that they might be using the planet as a base so that they have a home advantage. They have their robots out again. We saw one not too long ago on Trade World."

Ambassador Major still did not seem all too concerned but said that if he heard or saw anything, that he'd tell them immediately.

"Now about that tour," he said enticingly. "Don't you want to see the results of your labor? After saving us at least twice, and I thank you again a thousand times over by the way, you deserve to have first peek of the brand new Gargantia in progress." He winked as an added bonus.

Booster looked to Buzz with a hopeful smile even as Buzz frowned with only thoughts of his ranger instinct not being at all satisfied.

"It wouldn't hurt just too look around," said Booster.

With a sigh of defeat, Buzz nodded."Alright. Just a quick look but nothing long. We're kind of in the middle of a situation."

"Say no more, Buzz," the ambassador said. "I'll make it as short as possible." A finger lifted upright thoughtfully for a moment before he added, "as long as you can stop by and have a taste of The Boulangerie – they serve coffee _free _to anyone who stops by for a croissant, scone, and any other sumptuous baked item. It's not the best yet, but we're giving out scholarships and grants offered to us from the Galactic Alliance to send our citizens to college for just that sort of thing – among other important degrees too."

"Sorry, Mr. ambassador, but the croissant will just have to wait till another day," Buzz said.

Ambassador Major shrugged. "Meh, suit yourself." He then turned to Booster and requested a boost so that he would not have to follow precariously at Buzz's and Booster'sheals and to better see the view from above himself.

Thus, holding out his hand, Booster allowed the ambassador to climb abroad like one scrambling into a ski lift, except instead of sitting down, he leaned forward, clutching Booster's thumb while standing in the palm and directing them forward. As they started up the street, Booster worried about stepping on somebody, but everyone had cleared the streets long before Buzz and he began their move for this very same fear. The Gargantians may have accepted the rangers' good will, but they, understandably, still did not wholeheartedly trust their feet.

He hated it when he occasionally bumped into the side of a building or almost tripped over a rise or a wall. Luckily nothing appeared damaged when he looked hesitantly back through wincing eyes, and though, other people often looked on with worry, the ambassador did not seem to notice these incidents at all.

"See?" said the ambassador, thrusting a hand towards another building under construction. "We're even remodeling the old Primary School. No more underground dungeons _called_ schools, but real schools with real lunches and real opportunities! We're making it four stories high with a huge skylight over the top – a community college type thing. A good friend of mine came up with the design after a visit to a couple of the other planets for inspiration. It's coming along quite nicely too."

"Yeah," said Booster in honest awe. "Say, Mr. Ambassador, sir. I don't mean to be rude, but how are you paying for all this? It seems like a pretty expensive project."

Ambassador Major laughed. "We have our own resources, Booster, we weren't allowed to use before, and believe me they've built up! That, and we also are getting a couple generous contributions from the Alliance for five years to get us started. It's wonderful! Oh, and besides," here he lowered his voice somewhat as if sharing some secret,"everything's pretty cheap compared to how much the material would cost on other planets."

Booster frowned with confusion, but Buzz could not help a smile as he paused from his careful observations.

"Why's that?" Booster asked.

Ambassador Major brushed a hand aside. "Fuh, a pound of say, lumber, by Galactic Alliance standards could build a whole town in itself. It's fantastic!"

"Oh." Booster laughed with slight embarrassment.

After stopping to show the rangersmore amazing remodeling and new constructions of the capital of Gargantia, the ambassador led them to a sizable cliff at the edge of the city. For the Gargantians it would be a bit of a climb, but it hardly reached Buzz's shoulder as he and Booster arrived. Just at the foot of it stood another building, totally completed and sparklingly new.

The ambassador indicated that he wished to be let off here, and upon Booster's hand leveling with the ground, the Gargantian leapt to his feet and motioned for the rangers to follow for a closer look at the building.

"Come on, this way," he said. "See this! _This_ is a masterpiece of archetecture. Gregorian windows, high towers, grand balconies – the works! It's going to be a library; though, we don't have many books and virtually no media yet, except a few documentary type stuff, mostly compiled for the Chief of – well, what do you know!" He grinned. "Here he is now!"

Although a tad hesitant at first upon seeing the giants at the doorstep, a rather tall, slender Gargantian soon strode out of the library doors with a heavy notebook of some kind tucked under his arm. He had singularly, broad, orange bands around his coat compared to the ambassador's; though, whether it was for show or his true angular shoulders it was difficult to know. It was noticeable, however, because it caused him to have a rather stiff appearance even with his eyes a bit more wary than anything else as he passed down the walk.

"Volumnus," said the ambassador with a broad grin. "How are things?"

"Good, good," said Volumnus rather hastily, if not a tad annoyed. "I was just leaving. I was told something odd had occurred at the library, and I came to see for myself."

The second Buzz heard the words "odd" and "occurred", he perked instantly.

"Anything serious?" he asked.

Volumnus lifted his head haughtily. "No, nothing that serious." He turned to the ambassador as if silently waiting for an explanation for the rangers' unexpected visit. "It's just that one of the record boxes is missing. It was an old one that had been found in one of the militants' warehouses. We had not even been able to see what was on it yet. One of the pages must misplaced it."

"Chief Volumnus, allow me to personally introduce you to Space Rangers, Booster Munchapper and Buzz Lightyear," said Ambassador Major, holding out his coat with pride. He turned to the rangers and grinned. "Buzz, Booster. The esteemed Volumnus, Chief of Domestic and Cultural Affairs."

"Hi!" Booster said with a friendly wave.

"Good afternoon," replied Volumnuswith a quick nod.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," finished Buzz.

"The ambassador's just giving us a tour of all the progress you've been making here on Gargantia," Booster said.

"Hmm," was all Volumnus answered.

Booster noticed a flicker in Buzz's eye, but he became distracted as Ambassador Major pointed out The Five Star Restaurant of Gargantia.

"Now she's a beauty, wouldn't you say?" asked the Ambassador.

"Sure is," said Booster, though his interest soon went to Buzz who spoke something to Volumnus that he had missed.

Ambassador Major followed Booster's gaze towards Volumnus, and though a look of rather childlike impatience passed over his face, it cleared quickly as a new thought occurred to him.

"Say, Volumnus?" he said cheerfully. "How about you join us?"

"I'm afraid, ambassador," said Volumnus, a tadtentatively, "that I'm going to have to decline."

"That's alright," said Buzz. "Booster and I have to leave again shortly anyway."

"Oh, are you sure?" asked the ambassador.

"I'm afraid so, Ambassador Major," Buzz admitted.

"But we'll visit again," Booster promised quickly.

"Sure," said the ambassador. "We always look forward to seeing you." Nodding, he added, "And if any sign of trouble does come along, you'll be the first to know, though it's highly unlikely."

"Thank you, Mr. Ambassador," said Buzz and with a nod of his own, turned to Volumnous, "ChiefVolumnus." He cleared his throat."Come on, Booster, let's head back to 42."

"Right, Buzz!" said Booster. Starting up his rocket boosters, he made ready to follow Buzz, but just as he was about to take off, he turned back to the Gargantians below. Volumnus already headed down the street; though, Ambassador Major remained to see them off.

"Sorry we couldn't stay," Booster said regrettably.

"Ah, forget about it," the ambassador told him, waving his hands aside with an ever abounding good nature. "Next time! I'll give you a real tour of the city. You should bring your belt things and you'll get the full effect! It'll be like when you showed me around Capital Planet only then I'll be returning the favor." He added this last bit with a knowing wink.

Booster grinned.

* * *

><p>"Anything on the scanners?" asked Buzz upon returning to the ship. "Any sign of unusual movement. Anything turn off or on?"<p>

XR shrugged. "Nothing, Buzz, with an extra emphasis on the N-O. Zilch!"

"And the Gargantians aren't having any militant trouble at all," added Booster.

Mira leaned back in her seat and looked back at the team leader. "Yeah," she said, feeling a bit sympathetic for the team's leader. "I hate to say it, but it kind of looks like we've hit a dead end, Buzz."

Buzz shook his head. "No, there's something we're missing."

"Maybe someone stole their technology after all," Booster suggested. "I mean there was nothing inside Wormhole's – uh, the robot's body. So maybe they just weren't small enough to fit inside, whoever's controlling it."

With a careful nod, Buzz squinted at something the other rangers could not see. "That may be partly true, but I still think the Gargantians are still major players."

"You mean you think someone hired them?" asked Mira, beginning to see where Buzz's thoughts were heading.

"Yes!" said Buzz, taking his place in the pilot's seat. "Or partnered up with them."

Whizzinginto the spotlight, XR threw his arms out in front of him as if pushing all that had been said thus far out of the way for clearer reasoning.

"Whoa, hold on a sec, Buzz, two things!"

Buzz raised a brow.

"One: who in the universe would want to hire a bunch of hotheaded, bad tempered, tiny crackpots with so many other criminal types easier to get a hold of? And two (which by the way is related to number one) who in the universe would the Gargantian militants _want_ to work with much less for?" He crossed his arms in resolute triumph.

A smile curved knowingly onto Mira's face. "Hmm," she mused mockingly, "maybe someone who's just as hotheaded and bad tempered as they are?"

"Okay, you have a point," XR admitted, however strong the urge to stick out his tongue.

"So what do we do now, Buzz?" asked Booster.

"We have to dig deeper," said Buzz.

"But, we already scanned out the whole planet to death," XR pointed out. "If we scan any deeper we're just going to hit the planet's core. Either that or pick up microscopic pizza particles."

"Uh, I was speaking more figuratively than that. I think we're going to take another trip to Trade World."

XR grinned a tad sheepishly. "Ah, yes. Well. Trade World it is then!" He turned to Booster and muttered, "So what is this, patronize XR day?"

Rounding the planet as it exited its orbit, 42 slipped off through space to its next destination.

* * *

><p>A rather slinky-looking alien with a long, constantly swishingtail, narrowed his eyes dangerously as he leaned in close to his adversary.<p>

"There you are, you weasel," he hissed snakelike. "I knew I'd catch up to you sooner or later."

"Hey, hey, hey!" snapped Crumford Lorack, backing a few paces into the alley shadows. "I didn't have anything to do with the ship. They swiped it! I couldn't-"

"This isn't about that!" growled the alien. He paused, with his tail flickering slightly. "Wait a minute, what about the ship?" With a shake of his head, he resumed his previous menacing leer. "Never mind, I just want to pulverize you for being a squeeler."

"Squealer?" cried Crumford, deeply offended, but he laughed at the ridiculousness of such a thought nonetheless. "What do you take me for? C'mon, what kind of motive would I have for squealing, man?"

"You were the only one who knew about it," said the other. "Now I've got the rangers on my tail." Here the tail (which happed to have deadly spikes glistening like extra teeth at the end of it) whipped dangerously close to Crumford's nose. "It doesn't take much to put two and two together, especially since I know you've snitched before for the likes of Star Command."

A greasy smile smeared out across Crumford's face. "What about, Andromeda?" he asked mockingly.

Beady eyes squinted. "Andromeda's mypartner."

"And you don't think he'd sell you out if you became, shall we say, unnecessary?" asked Crumford.

"What are you talking about?" demanded the snakelike alien.

Crossing his arms staunchly, Crumford said, "Oh, I think you know perfectly well what I mean, Lef." He lowered his voice just above a whisper. "You think he wants to share the loot with the likes of you? You're not the first one he's duped."

The alien hissed. "If you're lying, Lorack-"

"Hey, man, you don't have to take my word for it," said Crumford, and pulling the snakelike alien down enough to wrap his arm confidentially around his shoulder. "Just look up these names in the slammer," he whispered."Blast Shotter, Fluke Filcher , and Pluto Wexerly, to name a few." He released him, and Lef's teeth barred treacherously."They'll tell you who had them sent to work up to twenty in hard labor."

A strange pout appeared on Snaki's face, but just as he was about to press further, the sound of ranger jetpacks broke up the relative silence of the grimy alleyway. Instantly, both Crumford and Lef darted off in opposite directions, but neither of them disappeared unnoted.

* * *

><p>Buzz and his team had not exactly been out looking for CrumfordLorack, but as long as he had been sighted, seeing what he knew about the situation did not seem like a bad idea.<p>

However, just as they made to go after Crumford, Mira said, "That's Snaki Lef, isn't it?"

Buzz nodded. "Booster, XR, we're catching Snaki. Mira-"

"Gotchya, boss," said Mira and flew after Crumford who had just found himself trapped at a fence that obviously had not been there before as he looked quite put out as he turned around.

"Look," he said smiling toothily. Mira landed a few feet away. "I'd love to chat, but business hasn't been goin' so well, you know what I mean, ranger? My reputation's crackin' and with Snaki busted and goin' to the slammer he'll be ratting out on me to every ward. Word spreads from prison too, don't think it doesn't. It ain't worth it. So, catch you later." Stepping forward, he tried to slink past Mira, but she quickly barred his way.

"We wanna know about robots made with Gargantian technology being used to smuggle from the computer technology industry," said Mira as if she had not heard anything previous. "What do you know?"

Crumford shrugged. "Sorry, can't help ya. I don't know nothin' about no stinkin' Gargantians or their stinkin' robots."

"Oh, really?" said Mira, putting her hands on her hips.

"Really, and you doin' that whole Tangean mind fishin' thing you do ain't gunna pull out anything worth the pole."

Mira nodded. "Mmm, hmm. And how about we test that then?" She held out her hand to show she meant business.

Eyes grew wide a moment, and Crumford stepped back almost involuntarily.

"Okay, fine," he snapped. "But I still don't know that much. I knew that Blackie Wormhole was a robot, but you already busted him up so that don't matter!"

"And …"

"That's it!" Crumford insisted.

Mira's hand drew ahair's breath away from his face.

Clapping his hands over his head, Crumford shrunk downwards. "He was built by the Gargantian militants, but they built him as their half of a trade," he spat out quickly.

"What kind of trade?" demanded Mira, withdrawing her hand.

"Never heard the other half," said Crumford lightly.

"Come on, Crumford," Mira urged.

Crumford shook his head. "_No_ one knows who made the other half of the bargain!" he shrieked in exasperation. "Or at least, there's so many rumors goin' round that you can't tell which one's right!"

Just then Buzz, XR, and Booster landed on the scene from behind.

"What!" cried Crumford, upon noting the absence of the chased Snaki. "He got away?"

"Hardly," said Buzz. "He's in the brig." With a deep frown, he looked down upon the weasel and tapped an impatient foot.

"I didn't have nothin' to do with Snaki," said Crumford. "If he says I did, he's a lyin'-"

"What's the news on Wormhole?" Buzz interrupted as he turned to Mira.

Mira shook her head. "So far it doesn't look like he knows much."

"Hey, c'mon, Buzz! I've been goin' through rough times, man," whined Crumford. "What, with being chased half way across Trade World by that crazy Karn toadLef! And as far as the whole Wormhole thing's concerned, like I told your Tangean cohort," Here he tossed a careless thumb back to Mira, "there ain't nothin' clear with that besides the bargain. Believe me, I'd tell ya if I knew. I got no reason to hide information on Gargantians. The mini guys made some bargain with some unknown big shot whose stories alone are takin' over the underworld, but no one knows who he is for sure. Some say even Zurg himself's spooked, except the people who actually believe it's the esteemed emperor himself. I myself am in the favor of the idea that Zurg knows all about it but's keepin' it mum on purpose. Otherwise, the rumors change with a planetoid solar cycle; it would take whole hours to get through them all, and you still won't get anywhere."

Mira exchanged glances with XR and Booster, and Buzz listened with a still intensity until Crumford reached the end of his little speech. At this point, Buzz put his foot in and, crossing his arms, he said, "None of these rumors are, uh … more _likely_ than the others?"

Crossing his arms in a similar fashion as Buzz, Crumford shook his head. "Tch, likeliness is relative in cases like these, if y'know what I mean."

"Okay, we'll leave it at that for now," said Buzz.

Crumford brightened. "Well, in that case, I'll see ya around," he said, backing up along the wall, casually inching past the rangers, but just as he reached a point at which he could have slipped away in the darkness of the alley, Buzz snatched him by the scruff.

"Wah!"

"Not so fast," Buzz said. "There's still the matter of your working alongside Snaki and Andromeda."

"No, man!" Crumford cried. "I've been framed! They forced me to be their informant! I didn't know nothin' about the ships! Honest! Andromeda's a manipulative, mind bogglin'-"

"You were caught on tape," said Buzz.

"They were fixed, I tell ya!" But he knew his efforts were useless now, and glowered in defeat.


End file.
